Who is the Scottish Winter Mountaineering Course suitable for?

This course is for people who have some previous winter hill walking experience (see requirements below) and want to progress to climbing graded winter routes. Over the three days we will aim to progress you from being a winter walker to a winter mountaineer capable of climbing graded winter routes. You will climb routes from grade 1 to grade 3 over the three days.

Sample Programme
Day One: Kit check & discussion
We will use weather and avalanche reports to understand the implications on route choice for the day. We will then head into the mountains to climb routes from grade 1 to III to suit the weather and the conditions.

Days Two & Three:
We will go and climb grade I to III winter routes. The weather will dictate route choice but we will try and cover both gullies and ridges over the 2 days.

Where is the course held?

We run the course in the Highlands of Scotland from our winter base in Fort William. We are very handy for Ben Nevis, Aonach Mor and Glen Coe and will often make the most of the ski centre chairlifts on the first day to maximise the time spent on the snow.

What about accommodation?

Accommodation is not provided as this allows us to keep the course cost low and you can then arrange accommodation to suit your budget. I stay in Fort William and if you stay anywhere in the town you will be in walking distance of the house that I rent for the season (I am on the Glen Nevis Road in Fort William itself). Try booking.com or any of the price comparison websites for a range of accommodation options – there is always lots of choice in the winter months.

Staffing

I hold the Mountaineering Instructor Certificate. I run all of the winter mountaineering and climbing courses myself together with fellow instructor Huw. Read More about us here.

Travel to Fort William

There is a mainline rail station at Fort William and it is within walking distance of where we meet each day. You can also fly to Glasgow and there is a link here for our travel options page which gives details of airports, coach and train companies and road links.

Previous Experience & Fitness

You need previous experience of hill walking in winter conditions. This can be in the form of a winter skills course (5 days – not necessarily with us) or more than 15 days of personal experience using ice axe and crampons. You also need experience of either some rock climbing (outdoors) or advanced scrambling. You should be happy tieing into a harness and happy with simple knots such as the clove hitch and italian hitch. Our summer advanced scrambling course is ideal preparation. These courses are strenuous and you need to be physically fit to get the most from them. A little bit of training in the form of cycling, running or swimming beforehand will pay dividends!

Meeting Place & Time

Once you book we will send you a comprehensive set of course notes and a letter of confirmation, this will include a detailed kit list and details of where and when we meet. The first day normally starts at 8:30am in For William and finishes in the same place at about 5:00pm.

When does this course run?

You can view the dates of all of our courses throughout the year on the diary page.

Other Questions

If you have any questions that you can’t find answers to on the website visit our contact page for details on how to get in touch. We look forward to meeting you!

Book this Course

To book this course please choose a date from the diary page and then click on the button below to complete our booking form and make payment via Paypal. We require full payment to secure your course space.

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